The present invention relates to an electrical connector, and particularly to a multimedia card electrical connector having an ejector mechanism for use in mobile communications or for ejecting memory cards or the like.
Recently, the demand for small-sized electrical cards for use in mobile phones has been increasing. Electrical connectors of a corresponding thinness, and having an ejector mechanism disposed to allow easy removal of the card, are also, therefore, increasingly required.
Most conventional electrical connectors have a lever-type ejector mechanism. Such ejector mechanisms include at least three parts, specifically, a one-piece eject lever received in a slide slot, a one-piece actuator transversely mounted in a housing of the connector, and a pair of pivot fulcrums fixing the one-piece actuator to the housing. An ejector mechanism having the above-mentioned design is inevitably thick or long. Furthermore, an ejector mechanism utilizing only the operating principle of a lever requires a strong force to actuate it, which makes operation difficult. Additionally, if the applied force is too large, the eject lever may disengage from a side of the housing or may even damage the slide slot.
Hence, an improved electrical connector is needed to overcome the above-mentioned deficiencies of current electrical connectors. This invention is directed to providing a low profile, simplified and effective ejector mechanism for a multimedia card or the like.
Accordingly, the primary object of the present invention is to provide a multimedia card electrical connector for use in mobile communications, and particularly an electrical connector having a convenient, flexible ejector mechanism.
A multimedia card electrical connector in accordance with the present invention comprises an insulative housing, a plurality of terminals received in the insulative housing, and an ejector mechanism mounted in a side of the insulative housing. The ejector mechanism comprises an elongated push-rod received in the housing and a bifurcated cam pivotably mounted on the housing and adjacent an end of the push-rod. The push-rod has an actuator and a push button respectively formed at opposite end sections thereof. The bifurcated cam includes two bands forming an acute angle therebetween. A torsional spring is mounted on the cam to actuate the cam, and a compression spring circles the push-rod.
The torsional spring is relaxed and the compression spring is compressed in an initial state. When a multimedia card is inserted into the connector, a front side of the multimedia card pushes an ejecting tab of the cam , the torsional spring is compressed by the cam, at the same time the compression spring is released and pushes the push-rod rearward so that the cam is locked by the push-rod, which serves to prevent a releasing of the cam which would eject the inserted multimedia card out of the insulative housing An edge of a band of the cam abuts against a side of the actuator of the push-rod and the card electrically engages with the terminals of the electrical connector.
When the push-rod is pushed forward by an external force, the actuator releases the edge of the cam and the push-rod disengages from the cam. The torsional spring pushes the cam outward, and the cam rotates and ejects the multimedia card out of the insulative housing.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.